FINANCIAL DECISION MAKING IN THE VIRTUAL WORLD OF MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER ONLINE ROLE-PLAYING GAMES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24071/icebmr.v2i1.193Keywords:
Financial, Decision Making, Virtual World, Gamers, MMORPGsAbstract
Virtual worlds grow opportunities for business that involve individual financial decision making. This research aims to explore the perspective of gamers on financial decision-making in the virtual world of Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs). This is a qualitative descriptive study. Data from this research were collected within Ragnarok X: Next-Generation MMORPG application through virtual ethnography and interview with players. The data was analyzed by identifying financial activities in the game, identifying the player's view of money, and identifying the financial decision making of the players in the game. The result found three categories of financial activities in the game that were income generation, spending, and conversion of real-world money to virtual purposes. The gamers in this research show strong self-control of money that prevent them from overspending real-world money for in-game purposes. Players feel a high degree of agency in MMORPGs. Social influence has little effect on financial decision making. They utilized strategies to optimize their in-game income. Their spending patterns were dominated by avatar customization and character progression. These findings contribute to understanding the intersection between the virtual world of gaming, financial decision-making, and the broader perspectives of individuals on money.
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